What is it in MM that can give me goose-bumps? 🤔

Dear @justmetoo : I try to figure out what you are hearing in your system. I know very well your electronics and analog rig but the Burmester quality level performance is totally unknow for me.

I can see that you don't use a TT clamp, that you have behind the rigth speaker " something " that looks as a " speaker ", at your seat position I don't know at what level are your ears against the midrange/tweeter drivers, I can see a reflecting glass table just in front of " you ", etc, etc.

Perhaps the best way that any of us can help you could be that you choose 3-4 tracks of 3-4 LPs/CDs and tell us what is the kind/characterisitcs of the sound you are listening then maybe some one of us couild own a LP/CD of the ones you named and we can make comparisons of your description against what we listen in our system.

R.

Ya know, @noromance is right.

In asking about MM's, I take it the op is thinking of such cartridges in terms of their high output voltage compared to that of MC's, correct? Well, the Decca and London cartridges are MI's (Moving Iron), and have extremely high output---5mV!

If it's goosebumps you're looking for, nothing beats a Decca or London. No cantilever (in his early-mid 70's Stereophile reviews of various Decca's, J. Gordon Holt used the term "cantilever haze" to describe the sound of non-Decca cartridges), no rubber suspension. Their sound is extremely dynamic, explosive, immediate, alive, and robust. Yes, lots of "textural density" ;-) . It's sound in relation to other designs is like the sound of direct-to-disk LP's in relation to those pressed from tape sources.

However, Deccas and Londons are not for everyone. Their design presents a serious challenge to the tonearm they are mounted on. They produce a lot of mechanical energy (none of it lost in the cantilever and rubber suspension as in "normal" cartridges), and the arm had better have a very stiff & non-resonant arm tube and rattle-free bearings to deal with that energy. Of course, ALL cartridges benefit from such an arm, just not to the same degree.

Thanks for all new thoughtful responses. 

I can relate to the differences I hear, mostly to do with 'higher naturalness' of timbre.
Meaning MMs appears more matched to my hearing (timbre-memory of natural instruments) then even very good CD/LOMC. 

Maybe sitting in a music hall/theatre the sound also is not all that 'immediate' than it is 'heared' (and recorded) by microphone(s). 

Is it this 'beyond natural' listened-to microphonic-immediacy, reproduced by both CD/LOMC true to the recording, making the difference to the MM's reproduction? 

Also, the more 'sensitive' the reproduction equipment, the more this difference would be apparent, wouldn't it? 

So, possibly the mentioned 'slower' impulse-speed of MM cartridges might simply compensate for these near field microphone positions, most always preferred to avoid too much 'hall information', too much reverb etc. 

This is just my unscientific best guess of what might be at work... 🤔
There always can be just - too much of a good thing - one might call it 'over-definition'... creating a less 'natural' presentation of timbre. 
Michélle 🇿🇦 

PS: Burmestet 961 are quit bass strong to 35Hz, by 8" side firing, light membrane, glass-fibre woofers, very detailed carbon-fibre weave 5¼" mid-woofers (AUDAX HM130CO),  and Air Motion Transformer (JET1 ATM) tweeters. 

Hearing position is near field and seated with ears between mids and woofer levels i.e. below tweeter height. 
ATMs have more lateral and vertical dispersion than do dome-tweeters. 

Dear @bdp24  : I posted  "  my take is that both kind of cartridges can give us goose-bumps but in different way in different " gradation " and digital alternative too.

Seems to me that what justmetoo perceives is a room/system acoustical phenomenon ( in that " scenario "/stage. ) and personal preferences.

Digital, MM/MI or LOMC have the real and true capacity to recreate in almost any one ( not biased to one or the other media. ) of us that: goose-bumps at a media gradation levels.

Differences always exist and each one of us are unique about " emotion develops " levels.
What is the musical instrument that moves me the more: female voice followed by piano and the level of performance of any musical instrument has a gradation levels.

I'm not a music player but I know that not all violins or cellos or double bass sounds the same, it sounds different coming from different manufacturers and the player not only makes the instrument choice but the kind of chords to use with but any of those instruments has the same capacity to moves our feelings/emotions at different levels.

MUSIC is just that MUSIC.

R.

Cartridges with user replaceable styli are the best (practically), they are more user friendly and if we can find the one, that can sound really good, it can be the last one. It’s challenge to find one that can sound better than others including more expensive LOMC. But when you will find one, you will be happy! In this process some other snobs opinion is irrelevant, it’s a personal thing, only your own opinion is important when it comes to your own cartridges.